According to statistics, DOTA 2 has distributed a total of 235 million US dollars in prize money. However, only $6,300 went to women. A report by the BBC discusses why women are successful gaming influencers but struggle to make their mark in e-sports.
Which players earn the most money in e-sports?
- The most lucrative e-sport in the world is Valve’s DOTA 2. According to E-Sports Earnings, among the 30 e-sport players who have won the most prize money globally, 29 players are from DOTA 2. Only the Fortnite world champion Bugha ranks 12th on the list of top earners with $3.1 million.
- Although LoL is technically the “more successful game,” League of Legends superstar Faker, with $1.2 million in prize money, only ranks 68th.
- It is notable that not a single woman is found among the top 300 earners. Only at 345th place does 27-year-old Starcraft player Sasha ‘Scarlett’ Hostyn appear. Of the 235 million US dollars in prize money that DOTA 2 distributed, only $6,300 went to women. This is highlighted in a report by the BBC.
Women in gaming either receive love declarations or insults
Why do women struggle in e-sports? In a report by the BBC, it becomes clear that women in online games constantly experience two behavioral patterns. This is explained by DOTA 2 player Bette Chai:
- Either male players would immediately profess their love and idolize them. They would write things like ‘Oh Babe, I love you’ – as if they had never seen a woman in their lives
- Or players would instantly toxic say ‘Woman, go back to the kitchen’
Bette Chai cannot make a living from e-sports. However, she has received sponsorship deals and can thus stay afloat in the “semi-pro” realm. The BBC notes that there are many successful gaming influencers – but no woman has ever won a title in a major e-sport game.
The experiences of being constantly harassed align with the experiences of many women whom the BBC spoke to. They interviewed players from the ‘All Female’ team in Valorant, Cloud 9 White,.
Player Alexis ‘alexis’ Guarrasi states: As a woman, you cannot just have a bad game; it is always said that you played poorly because you are a woman.
It is difficult to develop in such a misogynistic and immature environment.
“The barrier must be broken”
What could be done about it? Valorant player Melanie ‘meL’ Capone explains that women’s teams need the same support as men’s teams. meL wishes for a good coaching team, analysts, and a top manager. A women’s team must be taken seriously and should not just serve as a PR stunt.
meL believes that there might be a barrier that would disappear once one breaks through it. If a woman or a women’s team were successful in e-sports, perhaps many more could follow shortly after.
The idea that women should only play against other women is completely rejected by one of her colleagues in Valorant. Katsumi says she would stop playing Valorant if that were the case. She plays to improve herself every day. In a pure women’s league, one feels apparently too dominant.
At Cloud 9 White, they believe that in one or two years they will be ready to compete with the best players in Valorant.
And even the Dota 2 player, Bette Chai, dreams that one day a woman will win the most prestigious tournament in Dota 2.
At the moment, that still seems to be a distant reality.
How difficult it is for a woman to earn respect in gaming, despite being very good, is described by gaming influencer Hafu:
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